Barbara Weir was born in c. 1945 at Bundy River Station, Utopia. Her country is Atnwengerrrp and her language is Anmatyerre and Alyawarr. Barbara's mother is the acclaimed artist Minnie Pwerle and her father was Irish. Barbara was "grown up" by her aunty, Emily Kame Kngwarreye who went on to become the most celebrated painter of the Utopia Movement and Australia’s best known desert artist. At the age of 9 Barbara was taken by Native Welfare (children taken at this time are now known as the Stolen Generation).

Barbara was fostered out to various families in Alice Springs, Victoria, and Darwin. During these years she lost contact with her family but vowed to return and re-claim her heritage.

In the late 1960's she returned to Utopia with her children. She re-learnt the languages and her culture and re-established contact with all her family including the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye and her Grandfather Quartpot Akemarr. Being exposed to many artists at Utopia, in particular Emily, Barbara, in the early 1990's, developed a profound interest in painting.

Barbara's work has been extensively exhibited in
Australia, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Spain and USA